Twelve weeks.

Twelve, agonizing, weeks.

D stood inside of his petshop, at his table, looking irritated as he stared at the wood so intensely that he could see the grain.

He wanted to give Leon his space, but this was ridiculous!!!

Every instinct told him to run to his mate, to do everything he possibly could to try to sway his wayward mate to come back without resistance.

However, the few times that he had tried, Leon found some way to completely avoid him, and if he caught up to him, he was only met with a blank face.

And that scared him.

He couldn't believe it, but he desperately wanted Leon to yell at him, scream, shout, hit him!! As long as it was something other than that blank look on his face!!!

The only reason he was not running out the door right this moment was because of certain nighttime activities that he was sure Leon would not approve of.

NO, no, not that!

No, he had come up with the tendency to leave the Petshop at night, only to end up at Leon's window.

He'd noticed, of course, the small bump growing beneath Leon's belly button recently, and his fingers would twitch, the urge to stroke and caress becoming almost unbearable.

Once the man was asleep, he'd go in and gently lay himself at the bed, being extremely careful not to wake him.

He'd lay far on the opposite side of the man, only to wake the next morning in a tangle of limbs. He was always in the same place he had fallen asleep, it was always the slumbering blonde who had moved from his place to cuddle up to him.

This never ceased to warm him down to his very soul. Looking down onto his lover's sleeping face.

It brought up hope inside of him. Hope that, maybe, just maybe, his mate had some sort of feelings for him. That he trusted him, even if it only was subconsciously.

He knew that this could also be due to the baby, he knew that the baby would eventually seek out it's father. Even unborn, the baby would start showing its characteristics, little parts of it's personality, using it's mother's body to do so.

And kami babies needed to share in their father's energies.

However, Leon was only at three months, these types of things tended to start at five months, though it was not unheard of for it to start earlier.

And so, hope sprung to life inside of the Chinese Kami.

Leon would come back soon, he had to.

But D would not force him to do so.

-

Leon wasn't stupid, he was aware of the fact that D broke into his apartment every night to sleep next to him.

The first time he realized, he was about ready to spring himself out of bed to curse at the Count with everything that he's got.

But then, that small part of him, the same one that did enjoy what had happened between him and the Count, stopped him.

He let him stay there every night, and every morning he'd wake to find him gone, and himself on D's side of the bed.

….Leon thinks he's getting too used to this, and the shame that he felt came back every morning, once he realized that, once again, he did not protest the fact that the man had the nerve to sleep with him again.

….No, not that way!!!

Just plain old regular sleep.

Then there was the bump.

Yes people, the bump.

When he first realized it was there, he had paled.

He knew it would come, what, with the constant puking, munching, and mood swings he'd been having lately, he knew that it would come.

However, when it did, he realized.

This wasn't going to go away, this really did happen….

Then, when he'd curse and shout at the Count from within his small apartment, there was that small voice again " Isn't this what you wanted?".

Well….YEAH!!!….technically…..

Bu-but, like this?

No, he had not seen it happening like this.

For one, in his thoughts, he had be the FATHER!!!

Though, as the time went by, Leon got used to the small bump, it still bugged him from time to time, remembering how easily he had given in, but….

….Well it's not like it's the bump's fault!!!

The bump was the only innocent party here!

So, as he walked down the street on his regular patrol of Chinatown, decidedly avoiding a certain petshop, he came across a Chinese shop for children.

Now seriously, he wasn't going to walk in there, right?

All he saw were mothers, expecting, with infants, or with children, walk in there.

And there was something else he noticed, they all seemed to look at him!

In fact, he never really paid much attention before, but the people in Chinatown had always tended to stare at him. He'd always shaken it off as them staring at someone who looked so different from themselves.

But now?….He wasn't so sure….

They all seemed to give a slight bow, something else he had always brushed off.

Did they….did they….know?

Leon stared at the shop, before trying to turn away.

Key word: trying.

A small, slender hand grabbed a hold of his sleeve.

Looking down, he saw that it was a young Chinese woman, one with a big smile on her face.

" Now," she said, " Why don't you come in?"

Leon protested lightly as he was pulled in to shop.

" You're Leon Orcot? Right?" she asked.

Leon could only nod and looked at her oddly, how did she know his name?

He heard a small laugh.

" I'm Chyou! I've been wanting to meet you for soooooo long now!" she happily declared.

Leon looked at her, the look on his face probably one of the dumbest-looking ones he'd ever made.

" Oh come on! How could I not know you? Everyone here in Chinatown does! You're always going around, watching out for us. We all really appreciate it you know!" the young woman exclaimed.

Leon blushed, he didn't realize how much the people around here really paid attention, usually, he was just ignored.

" It only helps that the Count cares about you so much!" she smiled.

Leon froze, a blush rose to his face.

Cared about him? Really?

Wait, why did he care?!

The woman seemed to notice how the young cop froze, and she blinked up at him.

" What is it? I noticed that you've been avoiding the shop lately, have you and the Count had a fight?" she asked, there was an odd glint in her eyes as she asked this question, and Leon fought off the small voice inside of him that told him that she knew more than she was letting on.

Leon looked at the floor, then reached into his pocket and brought out a small, cinnamon flavored, hard candy. It was packet with sugar, and Leon quickly popped it into his mouth.

His pocket was filled with them, he'd really been craving sugar recently.

It figured….really, it did.

" Mister Orcot?"

Leon avoided her gaze and looked to the floor.

Chyou just smiled.

" I see, then I hope you both make up soon, it's not healthy to deny yourself of something, or someone, that you love." she giggled.

Leon's face snapped up, and his face grew angry.

" LOVE? LOVE?! I has nothing to do with love!" he shouted angrily.

But the woman did not seem in the least bit afraid, she actually seemed a bit amused.

" Only desire then?" she asked.

Leon's face was red as a cherry, redder even, as he registered what had just been said to him.

Desire? NO!!!

He did not desire the Count in any way shape or form!

….But that was a lie, and Leon did not like lies, especially when it was to himself.

He had, had dreams about it, being with the Count, from even before it happened.

And he felt slightly ashamed to admit that he dreamed such dreams even now after.

" Well then, I guess there is definitely desire there!" she exclaimed as Leon stuttered for his words.

" Are you sure there is no love there?" she asked mischievously.

Leon surprised himself by actually thinking about it.

Was there love?

He knew that he had grown close to Chinaman, he'd already known that he'd thought of the man as one of the closest friends he'd ever had, despite the fact that he was investigating the man.

But love?

Wait! Why was he considering this? He wasn't gay!

But, but….there was that voice again, one that told him that there were definitely some….deeper, feelings there.

" Well then, if you can't answer that right off the bat, maybe you should go talk to the Count, I'm sure he'll be happy to have you back." she said kindly before a small cry was heard.

Leon looked at the door in the shop which seemed to lead to where the cry came from.

" Oh! Wait here for a second will you?" the woman asked as she disappeared into the doorway.

Coming back, she held a small infant.

It looked to be a boy, with a small tuft of dark hair on his head.

One thing Leon noticed, the kid had dark skin which contrasted greatly with his mother's.

The Chinese woman gently sat the baby on the cashier's desk, gazing at him with obvious pride.

" This is Alo, say hi to Leon Orcot, Alo!" she said happily as she waved the child's arm for him in Leon's direction, which Leon found very amusing.

The baby giggled and reached for him and Leon felt warmth rush into his heart as he gave a gentle smile, unconsciously reaching out to feel his bump.

" So!" Chyou brought him back to reality, the hand yanking away from his belly, " Is there anything you need?" she asked.

Leon thought about what he should say, the bump would need clothes eventually, right?

But he couldn't just say that to her.

" Uhh, no." he whispered.

Chyou looked at him skeptically, then smiled again, she seemed to be just full of them.

" Well, why don't you take these anyways?" she said as Leon looked up at her, only to see her holding a large bag filled with baby's clothing.

Leon sweat dropped as the bag was dropped into his hands with a happy smile.

" Err." Leon looked at her in confusion.

" Just in case." she said.

" Oh, and there both girl's and boy's clothes in there." she happily bounded up to him with Alo in hand as Leon prepared to leave the shop and let out a confused " Good Bye".

It was only as he was leaving that he realized that everyone in the shop had been staring at him the entire time.

" Well now, it was great to meet you! Tell the Count you're welcome!" Chyou exclaimed as she waved Alo's hand in a goodbye wave.

Leon gave a small wave and left, large bag in hand, thinking about the strange conversation he had just had with a seemingly random Chinese woman.

" Chyou? My love? Meddling in the Count's affair's again?" came a rough, deep voice as a tall, dark skinned man came into view, his inky-black hair flowing freely on his back.

" Oh shush, Honon! I just want to help the poor man, lord knows I understand how he must feel at the moment!" Chyou pouted at the tall man, gently rocking her baby as he whimpered at her raised voice.

The man, Honon, simply smiled, taking the child from her arms and leading them back into their home.

-

Now Leon thought about it hard and, before he knew it, he stood outside of a very familiar petshop, large bag still in hand.

Maybe, she was right, just maybe, he should talk to D about all of this.

He couldn't just ignore what had happened, there was just no way that he could. Within six more months, the bump, no, the baby would be here, very alive and….very real.

Like it or not, that tied him permanently to D.

And he wasn't so sure anymore that he disliked that as much as he thought he did.

He did, after all, let D lay next to him every night.

Reluctantly, he opened the front door.

" I'm back!" he shouted, putting the bag down to the side.

-

D was in one of the back rooms, speaking to his daughter, Hon Lon.

" Father, what ails you? You've been so despondent lately." Shuko asked as Kannan glared and Junrei whined.

" Isn't it obvious, stupid?! Mom's been gone!" Kannan growled out angrily.

Junrei whimpered some more.

" We never even got to talk to him!" she cried.

D sighed, the girls had been wanting to meet their mother for a long time now. However, he knew that Leon had not been ready to face that he had a dragon for a daughter, or that they called him " Mother", " Mommy", or " Mom".

" Shush Kannan, I only wished to give father the chance to voice his concerns." Shuko fought back.

" Arrrgh!" Kannan growled, " I'm so tired of sharing a body with you!" she yelled.

D sighed, he'd actually been working on a way to do just that, separate them. They just couldn't get along having to deal with each other all the time.

As he watched his daughter's quarrel, he sensed someone near the entrance of the shop, his cue to go to the front of the shop.

However, this presence felt very familiar.

D walked out of Honlon's room, muttering a faint " goodbye" as he walked down the hall.

" I'm back!"

D froze, could it be?

Could he dare to hope?

" D!" he heard the voice cry out.

I was! It had to be!

D walked as quickly as he could down the hallway, trying to look as calm and composed as he could beforehe gave up and ran to the front of the shop, soon coming face to face with the man he loved.

" Leon!" he shouted as he came to stand right in front of the man.

D saw Leon look at the ground for a second before looking straight into D's mismatched eyes.

" This is all very weird, D." he stated.

D nodded.

" I understand, and I truly am sorry about how this all came about. Though, I think I should tell you that I do not regret it." he said truthfully.

Leon blushed and grabbed another cinnamon-flavored candy from his pocket, popping it quickly into his mouth.

" Don't expect too much, okay?" he asked.

" Of Course." D answered, leading Leon to sit at the couch, grabbing his bag, then raising an eyebrow at the contents.

Leon blushed and looked away, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

" Uh, this lady, Chyou, gave them to me….more like pushed them onto me really." he said, scratching his cheek embarrassedly.

D's eyebrow raised even higher.

" Chyou?" he asked.

Leon nodded.

" Yeah, why?" he asked as D just smiled and shook his head.

" No reason." he answered, smiling as he sat into the chair opposite of Leon.

There was a long explanation to go through.

-

I'm tired, goodnight!=^-^=